thirteen - caleb femi

• 'thirteen'

  13 year old boy, unlucky number, 13 tarot card is death, 13th disciple is judas
• 'four minutes from home'


  timing emphasises fate and destiny, he's so close to being safe at home but gets unlucky, almost a countdown to his death
• 'cornered'

  verb implies intimidation, the police are bullying him
• 'you fit the description of a man?'


  he says a man when he is just a boy, conveys unfairness of racial profiling
• 'you'll laugh'


  although he's laughing at the absurdity of the accusation, it will be taken the wrong way
• 'another fed'


  he's only a young boy yet needs two police officers conveying how they aren't there to help, they're the enemy
• 'whose face takes you back... his smile'


  juxtaposition: he was nice and optimistic but becomes mean when he's older, the boy is confused because of this
• 'you were all supernovas, the biggest and brightest stars'


  this is not reality, discrimination prevents us from becoming what we want to be
• 'show the warmth of your teeth'


  doesn't say 'smile', although he attempts to form a bond, the police take it the wrong way
• 'powerless - plump'


  the victim is described as a prize, something to overpower and conquer
• 'you will watch'


  the victim is passive as he can't do anything about it
• 'cast lots for your organs'


  the police see his life as a game, he is just a pawn to them
• 'while fear condenses on your lips'


  the situation becomes more intensified yet it only happened in four minutes
• 'you will remember that wednesday'


  his life is flashing before his eyes, almost as if he is about to die
• 'dying stars on the verge of becoming black holes'


  the metaphor changes from optimism to complete pessimism to convey how hard it is to thrive under prejudice
• written in 2nd person


  predicts what will happen to young black people when they become a teenager